Steps to Mastery
by Smirking Menace
Summary: Response to PyroChilde's First Impressions Challenge. What if Harry decided to prove Snape wrong when he was ridiculed in his first potion lesson? What if this simple spite paved the way to Greatness?
1. Prologue: Ignite

Disclaimer: The world and characters depicted in this fanfiction belong to JK Rowling. The initial idea belong to PyroChilde's "First Impression" Challenge.

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**_Steps of Mastery_**

**By Smirking Menace**

_Prologue: Ignite_

Harry Potter's first Potion lesson was a disaster that would not happen again, the boy vowed to himself as he stormed away from the dungeon, his book bag furiously slapping his back in cadence to his raging steps as he practically ran to the Gryffindor Tower.

'Snape's a git, what's his problem anyway? The old bat could give Uncle Vernon a run for his money!' The young wizard thought as he finally reached his destination, growling the password to the Fat Lady as he reached her. As the path opened before him, he was joined by his friend Ron Weasley that had tried in vain to keep up with his strides to their common room.

"Are you alright, mate?" asked the redhead, uncomfortable in how to act with his visibly upset friend.

"Yeah, I'll be better after a walk I think..." Was the response from the raven haired youth beside him as the latter dropped his bag on his bed, grateful that Potion was the last lesson of the day, letting him cool down before his next class tomorrow.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ron asked again, only to be rebuked with a shake of his friend's head as he descended the stairs back to the portrait guarding their sanctuary.

"Alright, then..." Was the last thing Harry heard before the portrait closed, shutting him outside.

Pacing inside a closed space never calmed down the young potter as he had learned in his cupboard, so he decided to try exhausting himself in walking and exploring as much of the castle as he could before he either collapsed or was stopped with the school's curfew. He passed though countless corridor, discovered dozens of secret passages that more or less led him to be lost before two oak doors.

'Just my luck...' He thought as he looked around, trying to find his way back only to open the door before him and find the Library.

Deciding to approach the librarian lady in hope of getting pointers back to the Tower, he was suddenly taken by a spiteful thought: What if he showed these snakes that he was better than them at potion making? There was no longer any Dursleys to drag him down after all and this would feel like payback to succeed without them knowing about it. Plus, that would show that hat that Gryffindor wouldn't prevent him from being great...

Straightening his posture at the thought, Harry approached Mrs Pince's desk and asked in the most confident way he could at the time about where the potion books were kept.

"Near the back, by the window giving to the lake." Was his answer. Thanking the woman, he set out to his new destination, passing by the annoying girl from his year that always had her nose in a book in the process.

Finally finding the appropriate shelves, the young Potter was taken aback by the sheer amount of times dedicated to the subject. Deciding to start with the basic, he picked out a few books about ingredients that caught his eyes and a "Guide for the Budding Potion Master" that looked promising. Finding an empty table by the window, Harry set out to work, determined to succeed in his vengeance against Snape.

Choosing to start with the handbook, he learnt about the proper way to hold a knife, how to properly stir and even how to light a cauldron safely, the small (and admittedly a little boring) things that he would surely need to excel in his endeavour. The book was separated in the phases of potion making, putting down in writing all the little things that happened when brewing a potion and was an overall useful read for the young wizard.

The ingredient were a little harder to learn, needing his complete attention to memorize but after he found that he could weave tales about each ingredients and their uses, his imagination took over and the whole thing was much more fun all around afterwards. He even found a use for the spiders in his old cupboard!

He should practice with hand on potion making later but for now Harry was content with his progress, feeling more and more confident after he finally correlated the Old Bat's ranting, as he started calling his professor, with passage glossing over the potions and ingredients made or used by potion brewers worldwide.

As curfew drew near, Harry was stuck with an idea and checked out a book about useful household potions used from cleaning around the house, thinking that this would help him with the Dursleys this summer and improve his potion making all in one go. A win-win situation, the youth thought!

A short conversation with the austere librarian later and he was making his way back to his dormitory with a few directions and a complementary book on easy potions for beginners under his arm.

'I can do it! They'll all see then!' Was Harry's mantra as he reached his dorm and prepared for bed. Tomorrow would be a brand new day, he just knew it as he fell asleep under the downy crimson covers of his bed.

The young boy's dreams were full of glory and potions, ingredients becoming glorious brews that were used to turn his relatives and teacher into the animals they were.


	2. Chapter One: Pour

Disclaimer: The world and characters depicted in this fanfiction belong to JKRowling. The initial idea belong to PyroChilde's "First Impression" Challenge.

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_**Steps to Mastery**_

**By Smirking Menace**

_Chapter One: Pour_

Sunlight and birds' songs awoke Harry Potter that morning, a rare thing to wake up to in a Scottish September morning. As he luxuriated in his devilishly comfortable bedding Harry thought back on the last evening as smiled, barely able to hold himself from whooping in joy at the mere though of what would happen next time he confronted that old bat Snape. That thought was enough to make him prepare himself for the day ahead and, after a hot shower, decadent for someone who was only used to cold ones before, he fetched his new books and read though them while waiting for his dorm-mates to wake up.

That took quite a while, and permitted him to learn two new potions that he couldn't wait to try out, one that protected the drinker from the sun for a few hour and another that would help him with his gardening by destroying weeds without harming other plants in the slightest. No more afternoons being burned by the rare but vicious sun while nearly breaking his fingers trying to weed Aunt Petunia's precious begonias. That reminded him of looking for a potion to dampen his hearing... that horse was part banshee, he just knew it!

He probably should pay more attention to Herbology as well as it was where half of his ingredients came from and was therefore very important for potion making. Neville seemed to be knowledgeable about it... maybe they could help each other?

'I should talk to him at breakfast' Harry thought as he looked upon the closed drapes of his dormmate's four poster bed. A loud snore was issued from the crimson confines, making the boy snicker to himself.

'Better get ready.'

Taking his shower toiletries and a change of school robes, Harry made his way to the showers, quizzing himself on what he learned the night before in hope that he would retain what he learned better that way.

Maybe Neville and him could become frie... Hagrid! He completely forgot about Hagrid! He really hoped he would forgive him... he had to go visit him before his Astronomy lesson tonight! But first, getting ready!

Finishing his morning ablutions, the young boy quickly dressed and made his vay back to his trunk, taking what he needed for the day as well as a complimentary potion textbook he was interested in reading.

He didn't have much of a social life anyways so why not?

Making himself comfortable in one of the Common Room's squishy armchairs Harry lost himself once more in a world of ingredients and magical reactions.

A full hour later the Common Room was busy with activity with students laughing, yelling and chatting to each others in a cacophony of sounds. No longer able to read in such a lively atmosphere, Harry closed his book and joined his dormmates as they traversed the Common Room in their way to breakfast.

The journey was more or less chaotic as neither of the boys were familiar with the castle but were fortunately helped by the various portraits found all around the castle and made their way in time for their meal. Harry tried his best to memorize the trajectory he had to use but wasn't really confident in his next attempt at getting anywhere without help. Was there a potion that helped people memorize things? He would have to check!

As they finally found their way and started to eat, Harry prepared himself for his first attempt at companionship with Neville Longbottom. Taking a fortifying breath, he said as casually as he could at the time:

"Neville, do you want to partner with me in Herbology today? I need help with the subject and you seemed good at it." He asked the boy in a tone that became pleading really fast.

"Me? Alright but why me? I'm sure I'm not that good..." The insecure boy responded with a gloomy air about him.

"No way, you were great yesterday! I'm not that good so I hope you could help me show up Snape. I'll help you with Potions at best as I can in exchange!" There was the confidence he was hoping for, just in time.

"R-really? But I'm pants a Potions, you say me melt my cauldron, right?" Said the Longbottom heir miserably.

"Well, I'm sure you know the herbal ingredients well, so there's that won at least. The rest I'll help you Wanna go to the library with me after lunch? We have a free period there and we could use it to get started!" As he said this, Harry was interrupted by an unhappy groan from Ron.

"C'mon mate, don't be a nerd, play chest with me instead! Who cares about what that slimy git think?!" Was the loud rebuttal, just in time to be head by said 'slimy git' as he passed through the Great Hall to the staff table.

"This... Slimy Git... as you said, Mr. Weasley, is well into his rights to assign you a detention for your cheek. Detention at seven tonight and twenty point from Griffindor!" Sneered Snape as he didn't even slow down his stride to his destination to the impotent rage of the youngest Weasley brother.

"What! But it's not fair!" Was Ron's resulting outburst.

"Twenty more points, and this will be a recurring detention for the entire week, Mr. Weasley." The Slytherin table then broke into cheers and hilarity as they witnessed their hated rival house impotent before their Head of House.

"Git." Whispered Ron, cowed by the furious glare of his upperclassmen and quelled by the sympathetic looks he got from most of his classmates.

"Bad luck mate, but you see why I must show him up? He won't stop until he had been brought down a peg or two!" Harry whispered as quietly as he could to his friend while shooting paranoid glares around the Great Hall in hope that he would not be caught.

"Maybe... but we are gonna see Hagrid tonight, no need to bury yourself in your books, plus you said we had to go see him yesterday, right?" A worried glance a his friend proved that the redhead was trying to look out for his new friend, a fact that warmed Harry's heart.

"Yeah, we will go see him before Astronomy tonight." That answer seemed to placate his redheaded friend and the two finished their breakfast in a companionable amount of small talk before going to their class.

Today they had Herbology just before lunch and Harry took the time to get to know Neville better in the meanwhile. The boy was terribly shy, to the point of making Harry feel confident in comparison, not a bad feeling in itself but it was painful to watch his new friend sometimes. They worked well together, and Harry learned a lot about magical and non-magical plants so that was that.

The two then took a quick lunch and stumbled their way into the library with the castle's longstanding inhabitants' help. Two hours were them passed in corroborating herbs of all sorts with their uses in potion, the two learning a lot but both being apprehensive about how their new knowledge would hold up against Snape at his nastiest.

After inviting his new friend to join him and Ron to Hagrid that night, Harry made his way to his lessons with a spring in his steps and a smile on his lips.

The time to meet Hagrid came and the three boys made their way to the half-giant's hut, chatting to themselves until they arrived and knocking trice on the lion knocker on the massive hut door. A great commotion ensued, with them being nearly attacked by an over-enthusiastic boar-hound and being met with Hagrid's beaming smile.

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**AN: Thank you Moi for pointing out that I completely forgot about Hagrid!**


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